Brice Prairie Master Plan Master Plan? Comprehensive plan already has significant detail Some areas need more attention to detail ... land remains in private ownership Landowners sellto

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Brice Prairie Master Plan

Town of Onalaska

Community Meeting #2

Sand Lake Elementary School February 11, 20069 am – 11 am

Agenda

Background

Master Plan Schedule

Preliminary Concepts

Flexibility and Opportunities

Discussion and Critique

Next Steps

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Town Comprehensive Plan

Public participation

and debate

Preference for

“Growth with

Conservation”


Brice Prairie Planning District Goals & Objectives:

1. Promote conservation, agriculture, and limited conservation-based

development as preferred land uses.

2. Explore policies, programs, and compensation mechanisms that will allow

for alternatives to industrial uses for undeveloped properties with that

zoning definition.

3. Prohibit the rezoning of Exclusive Agricultural Zoning Districts.

4. Ensure zoning is consistent with the Land Use Plan designation.

5. Protect and enhance Brice Prairie’s status as a recreational gateway to the

Great River State Recreational Trail, Lake Onalaska, the Black River Bottoms

and other areas within the Upper Mississippi National Wildlife and Fish

Refuge.

6. Encourage redevelopment opportunities to focus land use on conservation

design principles.

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Legend

Agricultural Preservation

Conservancy

Conservation Residential

Conservation Mixed Use

Residential

Targeted


Brice Prairie Planned Land Uses

Protecting existing areas

Agriculture Preservation: preserve

productive agricultural lands

Conservancy: preserve

environmentally sensitive lands

Residential: protect existing

neighborhoods

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Brice Prairie Planned Land Uses:

Accommodating new development

Conservation Residential: residential with open space

Minimum 60% open space preserved

Conservation Mixed Use: mixed-use areas with open space

Where Prairie residents and visitors can live, work and recreate

Mix of compatible uses:

Public and Non-Profit

Office

Commercial

Recreation

Residential

Open space

Education

Agriculture

Master Plans

Why Master Plan?

Comprehensive plan already has significant detail

Some areas need more attention to detailtown centers and other special areas

environmentally-sensitive areas

high growth areas and redevelopment areas

ComprehensiveComprehensivePlanPlan

Master PlanProcess

Master PlanMaster PlanProcessProcess

Zoning,Zoning,Subdivision Subdivision

Regulations, etc.Regulations, etc.

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Brice Prairie is a Special Place

Spring 2004

Project Schedule

Master Plan Process

Collect & analyze data

Property owner & resident input

Identify opportunities &

constraints

Design alternative concept

plan(s)

Select desired plan(s)

Detailed plans, implementation

strategies

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Collect and Analyze Data

Brice Prairie Capacity Analyses

Environmental capacityGround & surface water, wetlands

Habitat, impervious surfaces, shorelands

TransportationAccess, efficiency and congestion

Emergency services capacityFire/EMS & law enforcement

Project Schedule

Master Plan Process




constraints


plan(s)



strategies

Meeting #1:

January 28

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What type of development is appropriate for the Prairie? Where should that development be?

What types of open space should be protected?

What does open space mean to you?

What are your priorities?

For preservation

For development

Project Schedule

Master Plan Process




constraints


plan(s)



strategies

Meeting #1:

January 28

Meeting #2:

Today

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Concept Similarities

Created two concepts from your suggestions

two weeks ago

Similar approaches

Both create a Prairie Crossroads Community

Both protect important open space through

Purchase of Development Rights

Both show USFWS and adjacent development

Different assumption on the role of Purchase

of Development Rights

Crossroads Communities

Rural homes clustered around a

crossroads or small civic or

commercial area (e.g., a church

or neighborhood store) and

surrounded by a large expanse of

protected open space.

Development is clustered; 60%

open space.

A mini-village - mix of types and

sizes and can include residential,

office, retail and commercial

uses.

Walkable, community gathering

spot

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Character Images: Crossroads Communities

Brice Prairie Crossroads Community

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US Fish and Wildlife Service

USFWS in process to

purchase 187 acres from

Mathy Construction and

Capitol Air Systems

New USFWS regional

headquarters would be

on 12 acres; remaining

acres left as open space

USFWS serves as

required open space for

remaining Mathy and

Capitol Air parcels

USFWS Ingersoll Wetlands Learning Center, Savanna District (IL)

Conservation Residential

ZN

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100% voluntary program – rights

are purchased at negotiated value,

land remains in private ownership

Landowners sell to governments

the development potential of their

property, which is then devoted to

conservation easements

Conservation easements

permanently protect open space

and valuable ag land by restricting

or prohibiting development


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Concept Differences

The Town support and funding for the PDR

program is unknown

Timing of PDR program commencement is

unclear

Amount of funding from regional, state and

federal grants, private sources and Town

property owners is uncertain

Concept A

Concept A assumes a strong role for PDR

Full commitment to the program by Town

officials and residents

Full funding and aggressive search for

matching funds and partnering

Regional, state, federal grants plus Town

referendum on additional tax/fee

Partnership with local land trust?

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La Crosse Blufflands Protection Program

City of La Crosse and the Mississippi

Valley Conservancy, a local nonprofit land

trust, signed a formal agreement to join

together to protect the community's

blufflands.

MVC acts at the "broker" for the

program, working with landowners to

purchase lands and easements in the

blufflands overlooking La Crosse.

In 2005, the La Crosse City Council

approved $275,000 for the program and

MVC leveraged this funding through

grants from DNR and private fundraising

Concept A

PDR Priorities for Concept A

1. Environmentally-sensitive land – western tip

including the former landfill and surrounding

areas

2. Agricultural Preservation areas – purchase

the development rights to all farms in their

entirety (willing sellers) and enable continued

farming and open space

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Concept A

Concept Differences

Concept B assumes a weaker role for PDR

Moderate PDR program funding allows the

purchase of environmentally sensitive areas

Allowance of other Agricultural Preservation

areas to become Conservation Residential

areas

Open space requirement: 60%

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Same # of lots

2 acre vs. ¾ acre

lots

Private vs.

common open

space

Natural features

protected

Trail & pond

access

60% Open Space

Conservation Subdivisions

Character Images: Conservation Subdivisions

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Conservation Subdivisions

Z

Preserved Open Space Possible Uses

Town could require public access to

preserved open space

Town could permit the open space to serve

the new adjacent neighborhood

Town could permit active open space

Small-scale agricultural production (organic

farm?)

Another example: a golf course

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Golf courses do preserve open space, but

typically create an environmental hazard due

to the application of pesticides, etc.

The Prairie’s current groundwater problems

makes typical golf courses especially hazardous

here

Audubon International and other groups

certify golf courses that meet standards for

wildlife conservation, habitat enhancement

and resource conservation

Environmentally-Focused Golf Course Communities

Audubon Signature

Program: Legacy Courses at

Cragun’s near Brainerd, MN

Audubon Cooperative

Sanctuaries

8 in Wisconsin, 15 in

Minnesota and 9 in Iowa

Baraboo CC

Greenwood Hills CC, Wausau

Environmentally-Focused Golf Course Communities

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Concept B

Concepts A and B

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Today’s Discussion Issues

Did we get it right?

What are we missing?

What are your thoughts on both concepts?

Should the best of each concept be merged

into one? Should one be thrown out?

How much of future open space preservation

should be public? How much should be

private?

Next Steps

Master Plan Process




constraints


plan(s)



strategies

Meeting #1:

January 28

Meeting #2:

Today

Next Weeks

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Brice Prairie Master Plan

Town of Onalaska


Sand Lake Elementary School February 11, 20069 am – 11 am

Documents

Brice Prairie Master Plan Master Plan? Comprehensive plan already has significant detail Some areas need more attention to detail ... land remains in private ownership Landowners sellto